


Carry On

by Akirakasukabe362



Series: The Music Industry [1]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Bands, Breakups, Carry On(Original Band), Drama, Getting Together, More tags to be added, Multi, Music, None of the Music Used Belongs to Me(obviously), Romance, Sexuality Crisis
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-31
Updated: 2017-08-29
Packaged: 2018-12-21 07:28:34
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,080
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11939253
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Akirakasukabe362/pseuds/Akirakasukabe362
Summary: The entertainment industry is a hard one, crushing dreams and destroying good people, but it's always had it's charm. Carry On is a popular band, touring and preforming all around the world and they are certainly not safe from all the drama that surrounds. In the first installment of the Music Industry we follow the ups and downs of this rising boyband.





	Carry On

  * **Connor**  
  




I'm seated on the far end of the group of chairs, in the back corner farthest away from the cameras.

  
The twins sit beside me, Shane's arm resting on the back of Jaden's chair. Alfie's in the front, him and Alex bordering Marcus who, of course, sat front and center. 

  
The young interviewer blushes as Shane shamelessly flirts with her and laughs when Marcus's reply to a question is humorous. She constantly cuts Alfie off when he tries to answer a question, wanting to hear the answer from someone else. Marcus, Shane, or even Jaden. Alex just ignores her when she tries to ask him something or gives a short reply. Everyone just ignores me.

  
The interview isn't very long so we're in the limo driving to the company housing rather quickly.

  
Marcus ignores everyone in favor of tapping away on his phone with bored expression replacing the intoxicating smile he had during the interview.

  
Jaden mindlessly points random things out to Shane while Alex stares out with them.

  
Alfie complains to me about the interviewers treatment of us.

  
"It's just not fair, Connor! It's not like Alex ever wants to answer and Marcus is the only one who answers seriously." He says with a dejected look in his face.

  
"Being serious how?" Marcus interrupts, putting his phone down and gaining everyone's attention.

  
"I'm just saying what she and everyone else wants to hear" he rolls his eyes and goes back to his phone. "Just like Shane. She's an idiot to think he finds her attractive."

  
"True" Jaden replies before turning back to the window with Shane.

  
Alfie slumps into his seat and mumbles something but I'm distracted with the look Alex is giving me.

  
He stares right into my eyes as if looking for something but gives an inaubible sigh as he supposedly doesn't find it. Pressing his cheek to the window, he listens to Jaden drone on.  
~  
Back in my room, I'm sat on my floor strumming the cords of my guitar trying to finish the new song for the upcoming Spring Fest.

  
Marcus wants the composition done tonight so he can get the lyrics done the day after tomorrow.

  
Alfie sits on my bed and Alex on the chair by my desk trying to help me but niether has ever been very good at composing. Rather they're there to tell me what sounds good and what doesn't instead of coming up with something themselves.

  
"Why does Marcus have to make this harder than it has to be" Alfie complains flopping down on my bed.

  
I let out a small laugh at his behavior cause I know he's just tired.

  
"It could be harder. Remember when he gave us lyrics to create a composition around?" I remind," That was hard because he wasn't just matching good lyrics to a good composition, we were matching a good composition to good lyrics."

  
"And Marcus wouldn't let us sleep until the composition fit his lyrics perfectly" Alex adds.

  
"But Spring Fest isn't for another two months. Why does it need to be done now?" Alfie questions.

  
"That's the company's fault not Marcus's," I reply, strumming my guitar again,"The more prepared we are the better performance we'll give."

  
I stop strumming and look up at them with a question in my eyes. They look at each other, then me and nod.

  
"It's perfect!" Alfie exclaims excitedly. Alex nods in agreement.

  
"But will Marcus like it?" I question a bit unsure.

  
"A sure winner" Alex says casually.

  
I nod an okay. "Alright, I'll give it to him tomorrow," I say setting my guitar in its open case next to me and collecting the music sheets off the floor.

  
Once neatly in a folder, I leave it on my desk.

  
"Out!" I usher Alfie and Alex out the door. "You both need sleep! I'll see you in the morning."

  
I shut the door on their faces before they can reply.

  
Grabbing my phone off its charger next to my bed, I send Marcus a quick text to which he replies telling me not to bug him so late.

  
As I'm about to reply, my phone rings with a very familiar ringtone.

  
I grin and press accept, holding the phone to my ear.

  
"Connor!" Madilyn's voice squeals happily.

  
"Hey, Madds" I can hear the joy in my own voice. It couldn't be helped, I was barely able to talk to her over out last tour, but now it's ended with that last interview we had earlier today.

  
"How's the writing going?" She asks, then gasps,"I'm not interrupting am I?!"

  
I turn off the lights and lie on my bed. "No, no. We just finished, actually. The guys are already gone" I reassure her.

  
Madilyn breathes a sigh of relief," Good. I wouldn't want to keep you from your work."

  
I give a short laugh," You can bugg me whenever you'd like. The interruption would be much appreciated."

  
She silent for a moment. "Is Marcus being difficult again?" She asks me.

  
"Not anymore than usual, I promise," I tell her with a laugh and she laughs with me.

  
"Good, good," she says in between giggles.

  
There's a lull in the conversation before I ask her," How's your mom doing?"

  
A bit more joy slips into her tone," Great actually! The doctors say she'll make a speedy recovery and the police even caught the man that hit her with his car!"

  
"Really? Well tell her I said hi when you get the chance."

  
"Of course, of course!"

  
I hear Madilyn yawn loudly. "Tired?" I ask quietly.

  
"Yeah," she replies just as quietly," But I don't wanna hang up."

  
"We can talk more later," I assure her," You have school tomorrow and work, too."

  
"Oh all right, you goody two shoes, Connor Harmon" she teases and I laugh.

  
"You can call me what you like but go to sleep."

  
"Alright Connor. Good night."

  
"Good night." I repeat.

  
"I love you." Madilyn says with a yawn

  
"I love you, too." I whisper then hang up. It might be sappy, but I fall asleep with a smile on my face.  
~  
I stand by the open door waiting for Marcus's reply. He scrutinizes every note where he's sat by his desk, on the other side of the room.

  
It was almost noon when I woke up to my phone vibrating with new messages. There were a couple random and odd ones from Jaden from the night before that I'd had yet to fully look at. He'd undoubtedly gotten drunk with Shane after the interview.

  
The ones that had woken me, however, we're from Marcus asking about the music sheets and if I was awake yet.

  
I changed without showering, making a mental note to do so after a late breakfast, and race for Marcus's bedroom once I grabbed the folder containing the new song.

  
Marcus opened the door on the first knock and took my folder without a word and sat at his desk.

  
I don't enter his room, but I do make note of the cleanliness of it.

  
His room is very neat compared to my own. Papers are neatly stacked under a small pile of books I can't read the titles of instead of strewn all over the floor and crumpled.

  
The covers of his bed are neatly made with a handmade quilt on top and not a wrinkle in sight instead of the covers being tossed to the side.

  
I also make note of how little is actually in his room.

  
There's a piano a little ways by the door and a dresser between the bed and his desk, but there's nothing on it but a water bottle on the edge closest to his bed.

  
The walls are void of posters, pictures and/or paintings. His room is rather bare. I'd never noticed that before.

  
Usually, Marcus would take the music sheets and shut the door in my face, but that was when he would come by to make notes on my works in progress. He didn't do that this time around too preoccupied with other work that had to be done.

**  
** "I don't really like the chorus" he notes at last.

  
My shoulders sag. So much for perfect, Alfie, and a sure winner, Alex.

  
"I don't like it very much," he repeats," but it's good enough."

  
He turns around in his chair to face the desk and puts the music sheets on it.

  
"Close the door on your way out," he dismisses me with the wave of his hand.

  
I go downstairs to the commons that connects to the kitchen. There I find Shane riffling through the medicine cabinets and Jaden curled up into a ball moaning painfully.

  
Despite the obvious pain he was in, Jaden managed to lift his head and utter a quick greeting to me. Shane only glanced my way for a second when he heard Jaden speak.

  
"Hey, Connor?" Shane asks still searching the cabinets,"Do you know where the asprin is."

  
"Check the far back right corner," I reply opening the fringe. Luckily the company restocks the fringe the day we return so the fringe is never empty and is full of fresh food when a tour is over. I get myself and bowl of cereal and watch as Shane finds the aspirin and slings Jaden over his shoulder.

  
They may be twins but they are not identical. Jaden is much shorter than Shane. He's actually of a pretty average height but Shane is extremely tall. He claims it's because Jaden's always been lactose intolerant. Jaden says it's because Shane has more of their father's genes than their mother's like he does.

  
I finish my late breakfast and go back to my room to dial Madilyn. We chat until three when I have to hang up to go to a meeting with the rest of the band.

  
I meet the others downstairs, we're missing Alex but he had a different job to do today so he's going to meet us there.

  
Together we leave the house and walk the grounds to the company's main building. The receptionist, a kind middle-aged woman called Adelaide, checks us in and informs the CEO of our arrival.

  
It isn't long until we're ushered into the CEO's private glass elevator. It's the only way into the CEO'S office which has always seemed impractical to me. I've seen him go all the way down to the lobby only to go to an elevator to take him back up to a floor directly below his. Kind of ridiculous. 

  
The CEO is a greying man in his late forties. He's always wearing an expensive suit and I don't think I've ever seen him wear the same one twice.

  
His office is only a small part of the top most floor of the main building. The rest is apparently where he lives. He's not married and he has no kids so it's not much of a problem to him.

  
Alex had gotten there before us so we joined him where he stood. We wait in a line like soldiers waiting for their commander. The door opens behind us but we don't turn to look who it is.

  
"Boys!"  
  


  * **Alex**  
  




"Boys!" The CEO's voice booms kindly. He chuckles with joy as he passes by us to reach his desk. Once seated he lifts his legs and crosses them and props them up on his desk.

  
"So, tours ended. Whatcha got for me, Marcus?" He inquires with a raised brow.

  
Marcus steps forward opening the folder in the his hands and resting it in front of the CEO, right next to the golden name place reading R. Tremaine.

  
Tremaine picks up the file and looks it over, nodding in approval.

  
"Yes, yes, YES!" Tremaine fist pumps the air. "Marcus, Connor, you boys are geniuses!" He exclaims.

  
Those in question were stood next to each other. Connor grinned proudly, but Marcus smiled weakly.

  
Tremaine looks to my left. "Hollisters, you better get working on the choreography to this wonderful piece," he tightens his grip on the file and shakes it for empasise," as soon as you boys all learn the music. Diane!"

  
The CEO's assistant, Diane, runs in almost tripping in her heels with her haste.

  
"Y-yes s-sir," she stutters once she reaches her boss's side.

  
"Take this and make eight copies," he orders not looking at the woman as he holds the folder out.

  
She takes it in her hands and is quick to leave giving us an even quicker nod of acknowledgement.

 

Tremaine puts his legs down and gives us a serious look.

  
"Well boys, you have two months to prepare. Get to it!" He shoos us out.

  
Outside, I catch up with Connor and Marcus in the front arguing in hushed voices.

  
"Problem?" I raise a brow in question.

  
Their argument is paused for the time being as they turn to me. The anger fades from Connor's eyes once they settle on me, but Marcus's gaze narrows. He huffs and walks faster so he far ahead of the group. What a child.

  
I sling an arm around Connor's shoulders and squeeze to get him to stop looking like he was going to march up to our band leader and punch him in the face. Though it would be well deserved and it is long overdue.

  
Behind us I can hear Alfie being teased by the twins and him trying to get them to stop to no avail, but Connor's current mood is more of an issue than Alfie being schoolyard bullied by two guys that are supposed to be nineteen.

  
"He's being difficult," Connor mutters at last.

  
"Well yeah, that's his thing isn't it?" The small joke is enough to garner a small smile out of the brunette. (And a couple snots out of the guys behind us).

  
"Did he not like the song you wrote?" Jaden pops up on Connor's left with a curious look in his eyes.

  
"'The chorus could be better,'" Connor recites like he's heard it a hundred times already. Nevermind the song had been finished the night before and seen this morning.

  
It was similar things Connor'd heard since the first song he'd ever composed for us. Things the rest of the band knew of because of Marcus's offhanded comments during interviews or backstage and the frustrated looks Connor would have afterwards.

  
To fans and the media, Marcus is a kind soul who could do no wrong. 'He donates money to charity'

  
Actually, Tremaine tells us when he's giving part of our pay check to help boost our image. He gives most of the money in Marcus's name because as our fan appointment leader, he has to have the best image.

  
Marcus isn't what he pretends to be, Connor can attest to that.

  
"But the chorus was my favorite part!" Alfie exclaims.

  
"Doesn't matter what you like if Marcus doesn't," Shane tells Alfie. He towers over all of us with a smug smirk. It disappears when Jaden looks over at him with a disapproving glare.

  
No one says another word as we finish the trek back to our place. Connor's mood is worse than it had been before. So much for cheering him up.

  
When we get back, the twins disappear into the kitchen, Alfie goes after Marcus(big mistake, Alfred) and Connor marches up the stairs to his room.

  
I leave him alone for a couple hours, knowing he'd be spilling his woes to his girlfriend back home, Maddie, I think he told me her name was.

  
However, once the clock struck eleven, I made my way over and rapped gently on the door.

  
Connor has never answered when he's upset, but he has yet to be bothered by someone barging in.

  
Surprisingly, he's still on the phone, lying in bed.

  
He looks at me, the grin that had been on his face diminished. Offering a quick goodbye to the person on the other end, he hangs up and watches me expectantly.

  
But I don't say anything. I walk in, shutting the door behind me and sit on the edge of his bed.

  
I can tell he's tired. Even I'm still tired from how long we stayed up the night before.

  
"I know Marcus and Shane shouldn't be affecting me this much and I know I shouldn't be so bothered by it, but I can't help it, Alex!" Connor is the first to break the silence unable to take it anymore.

  
"But it does and that's why I'm here," my tone is much calmer than Connor's. His is very tired, not just from the lack of sleep, and also exasperated.

  
Connor sits up, pulling his knees to his chest and burying his head in the space between.

  
"If the music I write is so bad then why can't Marcus just write it himself?" He mumbles.

  
"Connor," I sigh.

  
"He wrote the band's first song which is still our biggest hit!" Connor continues.

  
I grab his chin and force him to look at me. His gaze is more tired than his voice.

  
"It doesn't matter what either Marcus or Shane says to you," Connor looks like he wants to say something, but I won't let him,"Our fans love the songs we come out with– not just the lyrics, the composition, too. So who cares what Shane and Marcus say compared to millions of fans."

  
I let go of Connor's chin and feel a bit of relief when he doesn't look away. He smiles at me and lies back down, curling into the sheets.

  
Closing his eyes, Connor let's out a heavy breath, his shoulders finally relaxing.

 

"Thanks," Connor says through a yawn and I can't help but smile. His breathing changes and I know he's asleep.

  
Looking over his sleeping form, I lean forward and lightly press my lips against his in a gentle, short kiss.

  
He'd probably hate me if he knew what I really wanted from him. That I never really wanted to be his friend. That I only acted as so to get closer to him.

  
He'd hate me if he learned of all the kisses I've stolen. How many nights I've taken advantage of his vulnerability and loneliness just to hold him a little longer.

  
He'd hate me and I wouldn't care because I've long since resigned myself to this impossible love and the sure rejection if Connor ever found out.

  
Still, I can't help but love him.


End file.
